Putting guide



J. W. ENGLER PUTTING GUIDE July 10, 1956 Filed July 23, 1953 INVENTOZR ATZg I Jafaz WE BY 6 United States Patent Ofice PUTTING GUIDE John W.Engler, Rock Island, Ill. Application July 23, 1953, Serial No. 369,8112 Claims. (Cl. 273-192) This device relates to golfing equipment andmore particularly to an improved putting guide, useful in theacquisition of a correct putting stroke.

Putting trainers currently in use do not provide an appropriate bearingsurface which is both adapted to guide the golfers stroke on bothforward and return swing, and permits a continuation of the strokebeyond the end of the guide.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide animproved putting trainer which shall serve as a guide during asubstantial portion of the putting stroke and which shall, consequently,form a means of inducing a correct stroke for normal play.

Another object is to provide a putting guide which shall be adjustableto compensate for various lengths of putter blades.

Another object of the invention is to provide a putting guide which canbe used by both right and left-handed golfers.

Another object is to provide a putting guide which shall not interferewith the normal putting stroke, but which shall instead serve to guidethe club in an appro riate manner.

Yet another object is to provide a putting guide which is simple inconstruction and is economical to produce, in that it may be formed ofplastic or other relatively sturdy but inexpensive material.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction and operation which will be morefully described and particularly pointed out in the specification,drawings and claims appended hereto. In the drawings, which i1- lustratean embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters areused to designate like parts:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the top of this embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear and end portion of the saidembodiment illustrating the mode in which applicants guide plate issecured to his support member.

The putting guide seen in Figure 1 is referred to generally by thenumeral 10. A support 12 is provided which in the preferred constructionis L-shaped and has a base plate 14 and an upright 16 formed integrallytherewith at the outer edge of said base plate 14. The upright portion16 has formed therein guides or slots 18 of substantially rectangularcross section, which slots extend through the said upright portion 16 ata height sufficient to provide minimal leeway for a putting head 20. Aguide plate 22 is also provided which is of substantially equal lengthwith the support member 12, and which has projections 24 formed on onelongitudinal edge 26 thereof. These projections 24 are of rectangularcross section complementary to that of the slots 18 in the support 12.The slots 18 and projections 24 together constitute a slide adapted tosecure the guide plate 22 to the support mem- 2,754,125 Patented July10, 1956 her 12 in substantially parallel relationship with the uprightmember 16 thereof.

Vertical guide slots 28 in the projections 24 are formed parallel withthe side edges thereof and posts 30 are secured on the upper face 32 ofthe base plate 14, the guide slots 28 being adapted to receive the upperends 31 of the posts 30. These upper ends 32 of the posts 30 are adaptedto threadedly receive fastening means such as the clamps 34, whereby theprojections 24 and guide plate 22 may be fastened to the support members12 in proper relationship thereto.

The outer edge 36 of the guide plate 22 is preferably beveled inwardlyat substantially a 15 angle to permit the shaft 38 of a putter to bearagainst the edge 36 at an angle which is conformable with proper golfingstance. The outer face 40 of the upright 16 constitutes another bearingsurface for the front end of the putter club.

The support member 12 and guide plate 22 may be formed of plastic orother suitable material, and are preferably approximately one foot inlength.

In actual operation, the putter head will be inserted beneath the guideplate 22 so that the end thereof will abut the bearing surface 40 of theupright portion 16, as aforesaid. The guide plate 22 may then be drawnoutwardly from the upright portion 16 until the leading edge 26 thereofis brought into abutting relationship with the shaft 38. The clamps 34are then tightened against the upper faces of the projections 24 so asto fasten the guide plate in the position thus obtained.

Since the lower surface 42 of the guide plate 22 will be a minimaldistance above the head of the putter when the head is placed on theground in the afore-mentioned relationship with the guide 10, the headof the club will be guided along a path which is substantially in thehorizontal plane, during at least that portion of the stroke in whichthe club is in contact with the guide. However, no restriction on therising of the head after it has passed the end of the guide is imposed.Thus, the use of a desirable horizontal stroke will be induced, withoutthe imposition of artificial limitations on either the length or theconcluding arc of the swing.

Similarly, the club will be constrained to follow a straight path as itpasses along the bearing surfaces 26 and 40. Thus, it has been foundthat the best results are obtained by maintaining the putter head andshaft in the said abutting relationship during the entire back stroke.Preferably, therefore, the ball will be placed at approximately twoinches from the right or left end of the guide 10, according to whetherthe golfer is right or left-handed.

The guide 10 can be placed on a rug, a putting block or other suitablesurface and will tend to induce a correct putting stroke regardless ofthe size of putter used or the handedness of the golfer.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation. Changes in form and in he proportion of parts,as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, ascircumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing fromthe spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A putting guide comprising a support member of substantially L-shapedlongitudinal configuration having a base member and an upright member,said upright member having an outer face opposite said base member for abearing surface for the front end of a putter, a guide plate disposedabove said bearing surface forming another bearing surface for the shaftof such putter, projections on said guide plate extending to saidupright member, means in said upright member of said support members forreceiving said projections at a height suflicient to provide a minimalleeway for the head of such putter, and means for adjustably securingsaid projections and said guide plate in proper relationship to saidupright member.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge of the guideplate is beveled inwardly at an angle so as to permit the shaft of suchputter to bear against said guide plate at an angle conformable with aproper golfing stance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

